Notes

Program notes:

The title of this work, Takht (‘ensemble’ in Arabic), describes the typical Middle Eastern musical group that consists of most of the traditional instruments used in Arabic music, including the oud, qanun, kamanjah, ney, riqq, and darbakeh. Originally composed for a chamber orchestra of 15 players (one per part), this work reflects a symphonic expansion of the Western equivalent of that ensemble. Some of the instruments even share similarities between each other; for example, the 'ney' is similar to the flute in construction, while the 'kamanjah' sounds very much like the violin. An ongoing muse in my output thus far is the voice of arguably the most famous Egyptian singer who ever lived, Umm Kulthum (1898–1975), the “Star of the East.” In this particular work, her voice, in a sense, is brought back to life as the woodwinds, brass, and harp instrumentalists literally sing and play into their instruments, transforming the hall into an abstract depiction of Umm Kulthum’s permeating presence in the lives of millions of people that continue to adore her today. Takht received its world premiere on April 29, 2017 in a performance by the Sioux City Symphony Orchestra conducted by Ryan Haskins at Orpheum Theatre in Sioux City, Iowa. It was subsequently performed by the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra as part of the 2017 NJSO Edward T. Cone Composer Institute at Princeton University and by the Minnesota Orchestra as part of the 2017 Future Classics concert which is the culminating event of the Minnesota Orchestra's Composer Institute.

Instruments

Total number of musicians:

66

Musicians

1st player

2nd player

Flute

3

Piccolo

C

Oboe

2

Oboe

Oboe

Clarinet

3

B-flat

Bass

Bassoon

3

Bassoon

Contrabassoon

Horn (F)

4

Trumpet

2

B-flat

B-flat

Trombone

3

Tenor

Tenor

Tuba

1

Musicians

Instruments

Percussion

3

Crotales

5-Octave Marimba

Timpani

Harp

1

Keyboard

1

Piano

Musicians

1st player

2nd player

Violin

18

Viola

8

Cello

8

Double Bass

6

4-string

4-string

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